


The Five Times Rob and Steve Didn’t Sing ABBA, and the One Time They Did

by polishmyarmor



Category: The Trip
Genre: ABBA, Angsty Schmoop, First Time, M/M, Morning After, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-21
Updated: 2011-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-27 15:53:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,168
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/297531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polishmyarmor/pseuds/polishmyarmor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rob and Steve are sharing a car, a hotel room, and meals. But can they share everything?</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Five Times Rob and Steve Didn’t Sing ABBA, and the One Time They Did

**Author's Note:**

  * For [insunshine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/insunshine/gifts).



1\. “Every Hour, Every Minute Seemed to Last Eternally”  
Rob looked out the window at the lush, rolling hillsides dotted with fluffy white sheep. He turned to Steve, opening his mouth to tell a harmless sheep worrying joke, but thought better of it. Steve had the intense look in his eyes and taut hold of his arms that meant he was internally lecturing himself on what the hell exactly he thought he was doing driving around the Northern countryside with a middle-aged Welshman instead of his girlfriend and why precisely had he thought this was better than pestering his agent for better roles, in film, in America and why hadn’t he gone to Cannes? To Sundance? To Toronto? To Tribeca? What the hell was he doing going to restaurants and not taking a damned note?  
So, Rob just breathed in and turned to look back at the road. To break the awkward silence, he began to hum to himself, “hmmm hm hm-hmmm hm hm hmmm hm hmmm,” moving his head to the tune.  
“Are you humming “Fernando”?” Steve asked, bewildered.  
“As it so happens, yes, I am.” Rob replied, turning to look at Steve. Steve’s head turned from the road to Rob.  
“Well. Stop.” And Steve switched on the radio, as “Islands in the Stream” blared through the Range Rover’s speakers.  
“Did you know…” Rob began, as Steve clenched his jaw.

2\. “How Could I Ever Refuse, I Feel Like I Win When I Lose”  
“Yes, but Terry Wogan’s voice has a much lower, more mellifluous quality to it, like this,” Rob countered, acting out Terry’s rakish banter.  
Steve attempted it, with little success. Rob continued in his Terry impersonation for the next several minutes.  
“Ah, but silly voices, impressions—I’ve tried to move beyond that. Sure, Saxondale was brilliant for what it was, and impressions are a great trick at parties, but none of that’s going to get you taken seriously.” Steve squinted his eyes as he looked for their turn off.  
“Sure, sure, but who wants to be taken seriously?” Rob shook his head, hoping Steve would let it drop.  
“Waterloo” played in the background.

3\. “If You Change Your Mind, I’m the First In Line”  
“Hi, we’re checking in, two rooms under Coogan.”  
“Yes, sir, I’m terribly sorry about this, but we only have one room booked for you.”  
“Not this again—look, listen, we’re not sharing a bed.” At this, the hotel manager’s eyes widened.  
“I…of course not, sir. It is a two-bed room.”  
“Ah, see, now, that should be fine.” Rob answered, confirming his assertion with a nod to Steve, and adjusting his bag in his arms.  
After getting their key, the two men moved towards the lift, looking at their reflection in the gold doors.  
“I’ve heard this restaurant specializes in the sous vide method of cooking.”  
“Hopefully they’ll sous-vide up nice and hot,” Rob replied, rubbing his hands together and shooting an impish grin to Steve. Steve rolled his eyes, letting a small chuckle escape his lips.  
The lift doors opened, and they both stepped in. A band’s smooth jazz rendition of “Take a Chance on Me” piped through tinny speakers.  
Steve and Rob both unconsciously nodded along to the music, hesitating when the elevator doors opened so they could hear the last of the song before heading to their separate beds.

4\. “Unsatisfied, I Skip My Pride”  
“Yes, I’ll have the salmon sous vide,” Steve tried not to smile as he said this, definitely not meeting Rob’s eye so he could repeat his pun. “And what wine would you recommend for that?”  
“I would recommend the Alsace Pinot-gris, or perhaps the Drohn Hofsburg Riesling, if you’re looking for something sweeter.”  
“The Pinot-gris is fine.” Steve closed his menu and handed it to the waiter, who had already collected Rob’s menu. With a short nod, the waiter walked back to the kitchen, and as he opened the swinging door, “Lay All Your Love On Me” floated briefly into the dining room.  
“You know, it’s rare to find truly good restaurants attached to inns these days.”  
“I suppose they don’t have to try so hard, what with desperate and hungry out-of-towners upstairs.”  
“Right you are, right you are,” Rob replied. “It’s a pity Mischa couldn’t be here to see this view. She must be kicking herself.”  
Steve just shook his head. He didn’t know how to explain to Rob that things with Mischa weren’t working, hadn’t been working for some time.  
“Ah, but it must be difficult. You’ve both got such demanding careers, taking you all over the world.”  
“It is quite a challenge,” Steve conceded.  
“I mean, I miss the missus desperately and I know that I get to drive home and see her in a few days.” Rob’s comment changed the air between them. The tension that had been there since the first day shifted slightly. They both missed someone, and they both had each other. Their eyes met, the waiter brought their wine, and they drank deeply, carefully not thinking of the two beds upstairs.

5\. “Take Me Through the Darkness to the Break of Day”  
Somehow they’d managed to drink two bottles of wine before the meal ended, and they’d never been more grateful to have a room upstairs than they were that night. Rob had worried that the alcohol would make Steve more maudlin, but he grew more relaxed the more he drank, the hunch in his shoulders disappearing, the anxiety dissipating.  
Their shoulders kept bumping as they waited for the lift and they couldn’t help laughing each time, the “Sorry” getting lost amidst the snickers. When the doors opened, they stepped in. This time, the jazzy orchestra brought new life to “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!” as Rob and Steve leaned back against the wall, side by side. Steve mouthed the words; Rob just smiled, not wanting to spoil his fun.  
They staggered to their room, Rob bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for Steve to open the door.  
Once inside, they both looked at each other, eyes gleaming. For all their talk, they didn’t know how to say this, to say what they wanted, what they feared wanting.  
“Fuck it,” Steve said, and pulled Rob’s mouth to meet his.

6\. “Now It’s History”  
Steve made it clear in the car the next day that he didn’t want to talk about it, that he didn’t want to talk about anything too serious. As they began to sing “Winner Takes It All,” they both knew that they were saying goodbye to the comfort and pleasure of the night before. Their home couldn’t be with each other.  
All the same, they still had their friendship, so when Rob responded to Steve’s shivers with a “Thanks” instead of something else, both knew what it meant. When the song ended, Rob made sure that their happiness with each other continued, making jokes and teasing Steve. But as to the night before, there was nothing more to say.


End file.
